Purchasing Options:

About the Book

Describing in detail her analytic treatment of eight female homosexuals with common symptoms of incomplete body image and unconscious denial of differences between the sexes, Siegel details the recurring treatment phases that typified their analyses and offers formulations based on both ego-developmental and object-relational perspectives. She candidly describes the countertransferential issues that entered into the treatment of these women and examines basic societal assumptions about sexuality that are imprinted on the analyst.

Reviews

"While the psychoanalytic literature on male homosexuality has been rather extensive, that on female homosexuality has been sparse. This volume contains the most comprehensive clinical investigation of this subject and the largest sample of female homosexuals treated by a single psychoanalyst. This is a thoughful, comprehensive contribution to the subject of female homosexuality. The author's highly original formulations, practical applications, and case studies are of considerable interest and value. This is a book that will not gather dust on the shelf."

- Theo L. Dorpat, M.D., Contemporary Psychiatry

"The material is well organized and instructive, with many references. The case studies, in particular, present an illuminating picture of the analytic process and the author's point of view. This scholarly book is a welcome and timely addition to the limited clinical literature on female homosexuality."

- Frida G. Surawicz, M.D., Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

"On the basis of extensive psychoanalytic experience, as well as an extensive review of psychoanalytic theory, the author provides an ego-development/object-relations view of female homosexuality. Included are eight detailed case studies and a chapter on parental profiles, as well as a chapter on countertransference. This careful study is bound to become a key reference in the area."

About the Series

Like its counterpart, Psychoanalytic Inquiry: A Topical Journal for Mental Health Professionals, the Psychoanalytic Inquiry Book Series presents a diversity of subjects within a diversity of approaches to those subjects. Under the editorship of Joseph Lichtenberg, in collaboration with Melvin Bornstein and the editorial board of Psychoanalytic Inquiry, the volumes in this series strike a balance between research, theory, and clinical application. We are honored to have published the works of various innovators in psychoanalysis, such as Lachmann, Fosshage, Stolorow, Orange, Sander, Wurmser, Grotstein, Jones, Brothers, Busch, and Lichtenberg, among others.

The series includes books and monographs on mainline psychoanalytic topics, such as sexuality, narcissism, trauma, homosexuality, jealousy, envy, and varied aspects of analytic process and technique. In our efforts to broaden the field of analytic interest, the series has incorporated and embraced innovative discoveries in infant research, self psychology, intersubjectivity, motivational systems, affects as process, responses to cancer, borderline states, contextualism, postmodernism, attachment research and theory, medication, and mentalization. As further investigations in psychoanalysis come to fruition, we seek to present them in readable, easily comprehensible writing.

After 25 years, the core vision of this series remains the investigation, analysis and discussion of developments on the cutting edge of the psychoanalytic field, inspired by a boundless spirit of inquiry.